


And the Scepter of Achashverosh

by Kass



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 15:45:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3295907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kass/pseuds/Kass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jacob comes out to his partners about being Jewish, and banter ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And the Scepter of Achashverosh

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hhertzof](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hhertzof/gifts).



> Image comes from http://textsfromthelibrarians.tumblr.com/post/107194177228 - borrowed with appreciation.

Jacob didn't relax until they'd walked through the dimensional portal and back into the Library. Getting the scepter out of the dusty museum in Susa had been relatively easy, thanks to Cassandra's skills at navigating labyrinthine corridors and Ezekiel's quick fingers. But a team of Serpent Brotherhood thugs had been waiting for them outside the museum...

Jacob was going to have one hell of a bruise on his left hip tonight. Then again, none of those guys were going to be walking anywhere anytime soon. Jacob felt meanly pleased about that.

"I'll take that," Jenkins said, reaching a hand toward Ezekiel. Ezekiel scowled but gave him the scepter. "I know just the place for it."

"It's solid gold," Ezekiel objected. "Shame to keep it locked up in a glass case where no one will ever see it."

"Glass case? Oh, no, no," Jenkins said over his shoulder as he walked briskly away with the scepter. "Glass won't contain this kind of magic. Platinum cage, at minimum."

"I wonder why the properties of platinum make it safer than glass," Cassandra mused as she sat down. "Platinum; atomic number 78; 78, sum of the first twelve numbers..."

"Cassandra," Jacob said, and when that didn't distract her he said it again more sharply. "Cassandra!"

She startled, blinking. "...what?"

"You were doing that thing," Ezekiel said. "You know, with the visions."

"Brain grape," she said, shrugging one shoulder.

Ezekiel went to put on water for tea; Jacob settled on the couch next to Cassandra.

"I didn't know Ancient Persian was one of your languages," she said.

Jacob fought the impulse to deflect. He was still getting used to the fact that he didn't have to hide from them. "It's not my strong suit," he protested.

"Your ancient Hebrew is better?" she asked.

"Yeah," he admitted. Then narrowed his eyes. "How'd you know I have ancient Hebrew?"

"I've known you for a while," she pointed out. "You don't need to hide it, you know."

"Hide what?" Ezekiel sat down oposite them with a mug of Lapsang Souchong.

"That I'm Jewish," Jacob said. The words came out more gruffly than he intended, but neither of his partners seemed to mind.

"Oh." Ezekiel tilted his head slightly. "Okay. Hey, I thought you said you had a family tradition of bar fights on Christmas Eve?"

Jacob grinned. "Didn't say what the fights were about, did I?"

"Were you the only Jews in your town?" Cassandra asked, drawing up her feet and tucking them under Jacob's thigh.

"Yeah." Jacob put a hand on her ankle and let it rest there. He still wasn't quite used to the fact that he could do that, but he was starting to trust it. To trust them.

"That must've been rough," Cassandra offered.

"Wasn't so bad," Jacob said. "Guys figured out pretty quick I wasn't safe to pick on."

"I'll bet they did." The admiration in Ezekiel's voice was plain. "I would have liked to have seen that." This was, Jacob was learning, part of how Ezekiel flirted.

"You get plenty of chances to see me fight," Jacob objected.

"Watching you move is not something I get tired of."

"So the scepter," Cassandra said, and Jacob spared her a grateful glance. Having a boyfriend _and_ a girlfriend was one thing, but actually talking about it, with words, in broad daylight, was another thing entirely. "You didn't say anything about it being magical, in the story."

"That's 'cause it isn't. In the megillah, it's just a scepter."

"Obviously it got magic powers from somewhere," Ezekiel pointed out.

"Probably had magical powers at the time," Jacob agreed. "But they didn't make it into the official story."

"Hey, I wonder whether there's an unexpurgated version of the megillah in the Library somewhere!" Cassandra's enthusiasm was endearing.

"What does the king do with the scepter in the story?" Ezekiel asked.

"Well, anyone who went into the throne room without being summoned risked being put to death unless the king lifted his scepter. So there's a whole thing where the queen goes in and is worried that he won't lift up his scepter to her."

Ezekiel made an undignified noise.

"What?" Jacob glared at him. Though it was hard to shoot daggers at a guy with your eyes when he knew what you looked like naked.

"If he didn't _raise his scepter_?" Ezekiel repeated, then waggled an eyebrow at both of them. "Is that a scepter in your pocket, or--"

"Oh, come on," Jacob interrupted. He could feel his face turning red. "That's a book of scripture you're talking about."

"Is that what they're calling it nowadays?"

"You are a pain in my ass," Jacob told Ezekiel. This time it was Cassandra who started giggling. "Oh, not you too."

"Come on," she said, pulling her feet out from under his thigh. "Let's go look for that unedited megillah."

"I would actually like to read that," Jacob admitted.

"I wouldn't," Ezekiel said blithely. "So I'll go work on dinner, shall I?" He put down his mug and stood, which brought him right into Jacob's space.

"You gonna wear that flowered apron again?" Jacob asked. He meant for it to sound teasing; it came out sounding more like a proposition.

"Only if you ask nicely," Ezekiel retorted, but now _he_ had high spots of color in his cheekbones.

"That's my boys," Cassandra said approvingly, and smiled.

  


[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=t8kr6b)


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